Keeping in line with the league’s emphasis on improving safety measures for the players this offseason, another big announcement came ahead of the 2024 season. Guardian Caps, known to be effective in avoiding head trauma injuries, has long been prohibited in the NFL. While it was expected that certain safety upgrades would be made in the helmets, it seems like Roger Goodell-headed league has decided to make a 180-degree turn about the issue.

Concussions are one of the most common injuries suffered by NFL athletes, and this offseason, the league has been making several rule upgrades, keeping the players’ safety in mind. The kickoff rule change lowered the concussion rates by 60% on the gridiron. While the guardian cap has been commonplace in training camps for the past two years, this season, we might see them on the field as well.

The NFL realizes the impact of the Guardian Caps

Head injuries have been the primary woe of the players, especially on the offensive line. Concussions and CTE, brain degenerative disease, have been the afflictions of several players. Each year, the NFL implements the use of safer helmets and prohibits the previous less efficient ones. However, no helmet has seen results as positive as the guardian caps that were invented in 2011. The padded helmet covers have recorded overwhelming results, reducing 50% concussions ever since they came into use in training camps two years ago.

The chief medical offer, Dr. Allen Sills, relayed the results in a webinar earlier, “We’ve got two years of data now showing significant concussion reductions in those players that wear Guardian Caps in the NFL. We might actually see a Guardian Cap on a player in a game this year.”

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When the question about the inclusion of the Guardian Cap was raised last year, the league spokesperson refused the proposal, citing future improvements in the helmet as the reason. Now the NFL has gone back on its stance and will be allowing the use of special safety helmets in the upcoming season. Dawn Aponte, the league’s chief administrative officer, made the announcement in a recent webinar, informing that the players will now have the “option” of donning the Cap in a game “if he so chooses.” The announcement had mixed reactions from the league, with some hailing this latest move while others expressing their doubts.

The NFL reacts to Guardian Caps’ inclusion

When the padded helmets became mandatory in 2022’s second preseason game, the reaction was mostly positive. Coaches and players welcomed the move, with Joel Bitonio from the Browns commenting, “We want guys to live long, happy lives, and if it helps a little bit for wearing a Guardian helmet for a couple of weeks, I think it’s worth it.”  The most jarring aspect of the cap was how it looked, earning the name “mushroom cap.” Linebacker David Long Jr. had joked about the same, as per USAToday. “I mean, this is ugly. That’s it, man; other than that, I’m still getting used to it. But, you know, it’s cool just to help.”

Now that we will be spotting the caps during the regular season, the reactions will be mostly limited. The San Fransisco 49ers’ guard wasn’t particularly fond of the decision and advocated against it to his fellow players. Jon Feliciano wrote on X, “Yall mfers better not be wearing guardian caps in game.”

Chris Jones also hold similar sentiments and wrote, “This is the craziest thing ever. These caps make no difference.” While people in his replies countered by quoting statistics, the DT stated, “First of all, the caps have never been used in a game so there’s no study in game. Secondly when we do use the caps is never live. With that conclusion of course no one will get hurt.”

It will be interesting to see whether players choose to don the Guardian Caps in the upcoming season or if they would forgo the option. While the efficacy of “mushroom caps” has been accepted by the league officials, others remain unconvinced about the decision.